The poetry of physics and the physics of poetry

341 Pages·2010·1.642 MB·English

by  Robert K Logan

The Poetry of Physics

and
The Physics of Poetry
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The Poetry of Physics

and
The Physics of Poetry
Robert K Logan
Department of Physics
University of Toronto, Canada
and
Strategic Innovation Lab (sLab)
Ontario College of Art and Design
World Scientific
NEW JERSEY • LONDON • SINGAPORE • BEIJING • SHANGHAI • HONG KONG • TAIPEI • CHENNAI
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Published by
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224
USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601
UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
THE POETRY OF PHYSICS AND THE PHYSICS OF POETRY
Copyright © 2010 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the Publisher.
For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright
Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to
photocopy is not required from the publisher.
ISBN-13 978-981-4295-92-5
ISBN-10 981-4295-92-2
ISBN-13 978-981-4295-93-2 (pbk)
ISBN-10 981-4295-93-0 (pbk)
Printed in Singapore.
Alvin - The Peotry of Phys and the Phys.pmd 1 4/29/2010, 10:34 AM
This book is dedicated to my students, past and present, of the
Poetry of Physics as well as Rebecca F., Haviva, Jacob, Joshua,
Rebecca L., Natalie, David, Renee, John, Paul and Mana.
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Contents
Chapter 1 To My Readers 1

Chapter 2 The Origin of Physics 5

Chapter 3 Ancient Science of Mesopotamia, Egypt and China 11

Chapter 4 Physics of the Ancient Greek Era 23

Chapter 5 The Roots of the Scientific Revolution 37

Chapter 6 Mechanics, Planetary Motion and the Modern 45
Science Revolution

Chapter 7 Poetry Influenced by the Scientific Revolution 67

Chapter 8 The Concept of the Atom, the Atomic Structure 77
of Matter and the Origin of Chemistry

Chapter 9 The Concept of Energy 83

Chapter 10 Thermodynamics and the Atomic and Molecular 89
Structure of Matter

Chapter 11 Electricity and Magnetism 97

Chapter 12 Electromagnetic Radiation and Wave Behaviour 105

Chapter 13 Prelude to Relativity 113

Chapter 14 The Special Theory of Relativity 121
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viii Contents

Chapter 15 The General Theory of Relativity 139

Chapter 16 Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions and 151
the Impact of the Theory of Relativity

Chapter 17 The Structure of the Atom 157

Chapter 18 The Quantization of Energy 169

Chapter 19 Bohr’s Atom 177

Chapter 20 Wave Mechanics 189

Chapter 21 Philosophical Implications of Quantum 205
Mechanics

Chapter 22 Quantum Electrodynamics 211

Chapter 23 The Nucleus and the Strong Interaction 225

Chapter 24 Elementary Particles, Quarks and Quantum 239
Chromodynamics

Chapter 25 Cosmology and the Universe: The Big Bang, 255
Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Chapter 26 Clusters, Galaxies, Black Holes and Stars 275

Chapter 27 The Solar System and the Planet Earth 293

Chapter 28 Non-Linear Systems, Chaos, Complexity 317
and Emergence

Chapter 29 Classroom Discussions, Activities and 325
Assignments

Bibliography 329
Chapter 1
To My Readers

Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars — mere globs
of gas atoms. I, too, can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But
do I see less or more? – Richard Feynman

There is poetry in physics and physics in poetry. This book is the product
of a course I taught at the University of Toronto starting in 1971 and
which I am still teaching at the date of this publication. The course was
entitled the Poetry of Physics and the Physics of Poetry. The course was
first taught at University College of the University of Toronto and then
switched to New College where I also organized a series of seminars on
future studies known as the Club of Gnu. After a short recess the course
then became a Department of Physics course and was offered as a
seminar course for first year students. The purpose of the course that I
have now taught for the past 38 years was to introduce the ideas of
physics to humanities and arts student who would not otherwise be
exposed to these ideas and to try to address the alienation to science that
so many of the lay public feel, which is a characteristic of our times. By
studying physics without math you, the reader, will encounter the poetry
of physics. We will also examine some of the impacts of physics on the
humanities and the arts. This is the physics of poetry.
The alienation represented by the gap between the sciences and the
humanities is frequently referred to as the two cultures. There are two
factors contributing to this alienation; one is the basic lack of
understanding of the actual subject matter of science and the other a
misunderstanding of the role science plays in our society. Although the
fear of science is quite pervasive I believe there are many people
interested in leaning about physics. The word “physics’’ is derived from
the Greek word phusis, which means nature. Those that are curious about
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